Washboard



Salle and State of Illinois,

Patented Mar. 9, 1926. y

Unir-Ein y isrA NJT :iofFl-*iica WILLIAM WFHBBARR or MENnoTA, I'LLINoIs Appneatibn "fired "June 9,

"wash boards and 'itsobject is'to provide an improved rubbing surfac'effor such boards adaptcdto facilitate the cleansing action and designed for economical manufacture. It consists of certainfeaturesand'elements of the construction 'hereinafter described and shown in the drawings as indicated :by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of the wash board constructed in accordance with this invention. Y

Figure 2 shows a fragment of one of the grooved rollers in partially completed form.

Figure 3 illustrates a lportion of one of the rollers in completed form.

Figure 4 is a view of the roller shown in Figure 3 taken from a position at 90 degrees from the point of view of said Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken through several of these rollers.

As shown in Figure l the wash board embodying this invention comprises side frame members, l, 1, between which there are' mounted a` series of parallel rollers, 2, which are corrugated to take the place of the more usual corrugated metal surface ordinarily provided. The rollers are preferably made of wood formed in a special manner as more clearly shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. In the originally cylindrical stock of which the rollers, 2, are formed there are out two oppositely helical grooves, 3, which, being of equal pitch intersect each other at opposite sides of the cylinder. As a result there remains a solid core, 2a, from which there project two sets of ribs or corrugations, 1, each graduated in thickness and terminating in a point as at 5. The-grooves between thickest portions of the ribs or corrugations, 4, represent the points at which the oppositely helical grooves, 3, coincide. If only a single groove of uniform Ypitch were cut from the stock the roller would present the appearance shown at 2*, in Figure 1921. vSf'ral No. 476,114.

2.; it would -merely have a running'thrcad cut l1n its surface. However, the opposltely helical groove which vformsthe other thread v`cuts through the `first thread resulting in the wedge lshaped ribs, 4l-,each presentingfa dlamondshap'ed face, 6, at its widestiportion land'tapering therefrom in both directions to a :terminal point, 5, Von the surfaceof the core, 2a. -Alternatingwith the narrowingend porti.ons, 7, of vone vsetof ridges, et, 'arc' the similarfbut oppositely pointed ends of the other Ysetofribs or vridges whose thickest .portions yproject Vfrom Vthe core, 2a,at the part ydiametrically opposite the thick tions of the first set yof ridges.

Each of the rollers, 2, is lprovided with por- Vtrunnions or axles, '8, engaging the frame members, l, so as to permit rotation'of the rollersas thegoods tobe cleansed are frubbed over the corrugated surface which they provide. As indicated in Figure 5 the tapering form Vof the ribs, 4, gives to each roller an external outline which is elliptical in 'cross section instead of circular. The rollers are not connected or geared together; therefore as they are rotated each on its own axis by the movement ofthe goods over them the -distance between adjacentrollers varies with the result that portions of the goods momentarily pressed between the rollers tend to be squeezed and then released. This, of course,

aids the cleansing action by forcing the soap suds and water through the fabric. Furthermore on account of the tapered form of the corrugations or ridges, 4, any slippage vof the goods upon the surface of the rollers results in a limited squeezing effect upon the portions engaged between adjacent ridges, 4; obviously any movement of the goods ohliquely across the rollers will result in some friction between the goods and the corrugations of the rollers which will assist the cleansing action ofthe soap suds and water.

With this construction therefore the travel of the goods in any direction over the corrugated surface formed by the rollers, 2, is effective in assisting the cleansing action` it unnecessary to rub the goods as brisklv or as forcibly upon a wash board of this construction but that the work usually takes much less time than with a board of the common type. Y

The manufacture of the'rollers is a comd paratively simple matter and is accom plished by feeding.y the stock through two thread cutting dies operating simultaneously but turning in the opposite directions While the stock is held against rotation.

I claim:

l. A Wash board comprising; a frame and a plurality of rollers j ournaled therein, each having a corrugated surface composed oit ribs tapering` cireumferentially in height, and thus having elliptical profiles.

2. A Wash board comprising a trame and a plurality of rollers ournaled therein, each having` a corrugated surface composed of ribs each extending over one-half Way round the roller standing;` in planes perpendicular to the roller axis and tapering' ciroumfer entially from their centers to their ends.

3, A Washboard con'iprising,` a amc and rollers journalled therein formed with circumferentially extending ribs which taper in both directions oireiunferentially from maximum to minimum cross section, said ribs being` spaced apart by cylindrical surfaces of the roller which taper circumferentially so that their minimum width occurs between points of maximum cross section otl the ribs.

et. A Wash board comprising; a trame and a pluralityr ot rollers journaled therein, each having a corrugated surface composed of tivo sets of spaced ribs standing in planes transverse to the roller axis and tapering in both directions eircumferentially from maximum to minimum thickness.

5. In the combination dened in claim Il, the planes of one set of ribs alternating With the planes of the other set and the minimum portions or" the ribs of one set interlapping with the minimum portions et the other ribs at opposite sides olE the roller axis.

G. A Wash board comprising a frame and a-plurality of rollers ournaled therein, each having a corrugated surface composed of tivo sets of spaced ribs standing,` respectively in alternating` planes transverse to the roller axis, said ribs tapering in both directions circumferentially from maximum to minimum height and the minimum portions of one set of ribs extending adjacent to the minimum portions of the others whereby the external shape of the rollers is rendered elliptical,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Mendota, Illinois, this 6th day of June, 1921.

VTILLIAM IV. HUBBARD. 

